Bold Yellow Paint For A Humdrum Chair
Bold yellow paint made a statement piece out of my humdrum chair. I love the bright, cheerful, color and the fabric for the seat is fun and stylish. Just wait until you see the fabric. It’s a winner for sure. I wish I had bought several yards of the fabric instead of just one.
You guys know how I love color and the bold yellow paint I chose for this chair makeover is my new favorite color. The makeover was as simple as pie. Wait until I tell you how I did it.
Bold Yellow Paint
This chair makes me smile. What about you guys? See what I mean about the paint. In your face for sure.
Another find from My Favorite Junk Shop. I like chairs with padded seats…much more interesting to make over. Not only do I get to choose a pretty paint color but also a coordinating fabric for the seat. I always say chairs with fabric seats are the most dramatic makeovers for the money. The projects are inexpensive but WOW, what a change. And changing out the fabric on a chair seat like this one is super easy.
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This is yet another project where the plan went in the wind. I’ve had those vintage curtains you see in the first photo for a long time…love the print and the color. (I’m a 70’s girl in case you can’t tell.) So the plan was to use this fabric for the seat.
I painted the chair brown to coordinate with the fabric but the brown wasn’t bold enough. Then I painted the chair a dull red/orange color you see in the next photo…boring! You guys know I often change plans mid-stream or after the fact. Seldom do I have to change plans three times. That’s the thing about paint…..if you don’t like it…..redo it……not much expense involved, just a bit more time.
On to plan C (could be D)….Bright, Bold, In-Your-Face Yellow. I love it. For the first two sad colors I spent several hours on Saturday night painting the chair using a brush. I hooked up the HomeRight Finish Max for the job yesterday. Quick and Easy! (Amazon affiliate links are for your convenience. Read the disclosure here)
The chair looks so much better already.
This is the fabric that inspired plan C (D?). I’ve had this fabric for a long time. I found it at a local fabric store while shopping for something else….can’t remember what. I loved the print, so I bought a yard of fabric for whatever. Whatever is here. You can find the fabric on Amazon by clicking here…Premier Prints Barber Corn Yellow/Kelp Slub Fabric . I’m going to buy more of the fabric now that I’ve found it online.
It’s a simple job to cover the seat. Just cut a piece of fabric large enough to cover the seat and staple to the bottom. One tip, when I use a patterned fabric I always try to place the design in the most pleasing way. In this case I chose to cut the fabric so the Cockatiel is slightly off center. (You can read a step by step tutorial from an earlier project here…..How To Re-Cover A Chair Seat.)
Only thing left to do is attach the seat to the chair.
The paint was mixed at Home Depot. I went with Behr latex paint and primer all-in-one in a flat finish. Can you tell the difference in the finish ( I usually use satin or semi-gloss) and do you like it? I took the fabric to the store and selected a color just a tad darker than the yellow in the fabric. I forgot the name of the color but if anyone is interested I can track it down for you. (just looked it up, paint color Twenty Carat by Behr)
The yellow, chippy, metal box is one of my favorite things. It resides on the bookcase in the den. Special appearance here for the photo shoot.
I loved this fabric so much I made a framed art piece out of a scrap. See it here…..Cockatiel Art.
The gray Cockatiel (had to look up the spelling) looks right at home on the chair. What do you think? How do you like the fabric and is the yellow paint too bold or just right? Thanks for being here and have a great day, Kathy
(This post first appeared on Petticoat Junktion in 2014. It has been updated with new details and photos.)
Mary R says
Love the yellow!! I’ve had a chair that’s just waiting for a makeover. Somehow gray or black just didn’t seem to do it justice. Now I can add some more yellow to the black/white/gray/yellow theme and have some brightness in there. Might just have to head to the fabric store (what a chore, not) to find the perfect material for the seat. Thanks for the inspiration!!
Esther says
Gorgeous!! I love that material and yellow is definitely the best choice for that chair!
regina says
Well, there went the arm chair I needed for my old dining room set!!! Not to worry, though. I have upholstered parsons chairs at the ends of the table and my one arm chair off to the side, which I think looks better than having arm chairs at the ends would, anyway. The bright yellow is perfect for this style as an accent chair, and I love your happy fabric. I think I’ll leave my set au natural, however.
Kathy Owen says
Sorry about the chair Regina! I love arm chairs and as you know they are hard to come by. I think you have the best idea with your parsons chairs. I love eclectic and thinking outside of the box. Thanks for the comment 🙂
chris aka monkey says
wow kathy that is gorgeous love the paint color and that fabric is to die for the bird tops it off i love it xx btw how is hubs doing?
Judy says
The chair is so bright and cheery. The gray cockatiel is just perfect on the fabric. Your workshop looks great.
JaneEllen says
Awesome Kathy, love that chair, legs on her are very pretty. Gotta love that chair color and the fabric, oh my I’d so love to have some of it. That yellow with gray cockatiel is gorgeous. You were right to give it flat finish. Would have been too in your face otherwise. Are you selling it or keeping?
I had chair very similar to yours that I was talked into getting rid of and am mad at myself. Have to stop listening to daughter and husband. They get me to do things I’m very sorry for afterwards. Need to listen to my own head, not them. Have gotten rid of two pieces of furniture I really loved cause of them. No more.
Hubs was madder than a hornet when I bought couch we have now. Tuff cause I love it and it goes so much better in our living room, is so much more comfy and it’s a sofa/bed. Even our granddaughters complained of how uncomfy old sofa was to sleep on.
Your workshop looks so big and roomy now, lots of hard work getting it to that point huh? I’m working on getting into mode to clean out my sewing room, it’s still a big mess. If we needed a jacket can’t get to closet, blocked.
You sure do inspire me.
I bought a little side chair I’m going to paint but have to make up my mind what color(s), have changed my mind a few times. Need to give it quick sanding and go for it. Will make my own chalk paint, can’t even afford the commercial chalk paint.
Hubs made me feel bad so I helped him get supper ready. We’re having polska kilbasa stew. So good and good for you too. Just cut up kilbasa, spuds, carrots, celery, onion, throw in some parsley flakes. salt and pepper and let it cook in oven. Smell of it cooking makes a person hungry. OH yeah add some water or chicken broth if you have it.
Hubs tends to do too much then he’s dragging his butt so called him in to have lunch and he came right away. We had rest of egg salad (made with eggs from our chickens) and it was sure good, had it for supper Saturday night with tater tots. Now that I’ve made myself hungry talking about all this food, lol. Happy week Kathy.
kathy says
I am not a big fan of bright yellow, your chair looks good and I love the material! Got to be honest, I would love to see this chair painted turquoise with the yellow material. I adore this weather!!!! I have so much energy and have accomplished so much in two days. We are on fall break and are planning a trip to Amelia Island, never been and am so excited. Your workshop looks great!
Tina says
LOVE LOVE LOVE that chair and fabric! Its perfect.
Gloria says
What you did with this chair is as perfect as it gets. Love the yellow/grey combination of the fabric. This turned out beautiful, and you should be proud
Kelsey @ Vintage Storehouse & Co. says
Love the bright yellow! The before and after is absolutely stunning!
Michelle (The Ribbon Retreat) says
This chair is gorgeous! I love the bright color and that fabric is stunning! PINNED!
karen says
Kathy this is so cute! This shade of yellow could be my most favorite color. It is just so happy! Thank you for linking up at The Handmade Hangout, sharing at Redouxinteriors tomorrow! We need to plan our joint junk project!!! I feel some good holiday junk coming on 🙂
Kathy Owen says
Sounds great Karen. I love that yellow too. What do you think about flat paint?
aimèe artigliere says
Hi. Please do you still have the paint? I’d love to know the name, thanks.
Aimèe
Kathy Owen says
Hi Aimee, It is a Behr color named Twenty Carat. I had it mixed in Behr paint and primer all in one in a flat finish.
aimee artigliere says
Thanks so much Kathy!
Beth says
How did I miss this fantastic-ness? I LURVE this yellow!!!!
Debi Carser says
Kathy, I LOVE it! I love the grey cockatiel just to the side. Great placement of the fabric! Love the total look!
Kathy Owen says
Thank you Debi!
Darrielle Tennenbaum says
Love that you went bold and beautiful!
Bobby Gittins says
Inspired choice of fabric cleverly used and the yellow is so cheerful and sunny. I love this piece!
Eliz~ says
Well I love this! As I age I love bright colors! Recently I noticed in British cottages the paints were lovely bright colors- green, yellow, blue. I love it! I’m thinking of trying it in a bedroom! Oh and I add sparklies now too! Leave a little sparkle wherever you go! Woo- Hoo!
Kathy Owen says
WooHoo! I love sparklies too.
EFFIE CARROLL says
This is one of my favorite pieces you have done. The material and the paint go perfectly together.
Kathy Owen says
Thank you!
Barb says
Kathy,
I like color and that yellow paint is gorgeous. It is NOT too bright. It looks great with the fabric. I would also like it in orange – the whole chair! I’m glad you didn’t heavily distress the chair. I like a smooth finish. The paint will chip naturally enough! Have a great trip!
Kathy Owen says
Thanks Barb!
Cathy says
Hi there Kathy! I noticed here that you covered right over the existing fabric on the seat. Do you always do that? I’m just wondering because I’ve seen online that the original seat cover is used as the pattern. What would you recommend? Thanks as always for your inspiration and projects.
Kathy Owen says
I did cover over the original seat cover and I usually do. I just lay the seat on the fabric and cut the panel that way…just cut it big enough to staple it to the back. I usually spray the original seat cover with Simple Green and try to disinfect and clean it good before I cover over it. If the cover is really bad I remove it. Thank you for the sweet words!
Kathleen Hicks says
The chair did need help, but not yellow for me. Not turquoise either.
Kathy Owen says
Thanks
ROSE LEFEBVRE says
Lovely look. Always nice to have a shock of color here and there.
Kathy Owen says
Thank you!
Naomi S. says
Kathy, I don’t imagine that the bright yellow would find a place in my present decor, but I do love the remake on the chair. I am also a ’70’s girl and used to use bright, primary colors quite a lot. In fact, I often WORE those bright colors! I do wear some now that my hair has changed from dark brown to salt and pepper grey but never anything in the yellow-orange range because my skin tends to be a bit sallow and those colors just accentuate that. But back in those days I would have loved that chair in my house. I think you did a great job on it. The fabric is exactly right and if I had a sun-room I would love it there! Alas, no sun-room!
Marie says
Now you’re talk’n! Did this chair come alive painted yellow and the fabric is perfect. I totally agree that the bird should be off center. I’ve gotten heck for that with some readers but I still say off center is far more interesting to the eye. Love it – pinned it!